Resiliently mounted mine car



Dec. 31, 1940. H. H PANCAKE ETAL 2,227,318

RESILIENTLY MOUNTED MINE CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 20, 1940 BY ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1940. H. H. PANCAKE ETAL RESILIENTLY MOUNTED MINE CAR Filed April 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 RESILIENTLY MOUNTDKMINE CAR Herman H. Pancake and Robert A. Shields, Berwick, Pa., assignors to American Car and Foundry Company, New York,y N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April zo, 1940, seriaiNo. 330,663'

6 Claims.

V`This invention relates to rail cars in general and in particular to mine cars of lthe type which are resiliently supported on their wheels and axles. f

The trend for several years has been toward large capacity all metal mine cars and it has been found extremely desirable that these cars beresiliently mounted o'n their wheel and axle assemblies in order to relieve the structure of excessive shock strains. The addition of springs or other means, however, has in most cases reduced the capacity of the carslightly with the result that some mine operators have sacrificed the benecial spring mounting feature for larger capacity cars. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a resilient mounting for; large capacity cars, which mounting is so placed as to yield a maximum capacity car.

A further object of the invention is the provvision of a new and improved type of journal box for mine or other cars.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new and simplified journal box mounting or pedestal structure for mine or other type cars.

, These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following. description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of substantially one-half the car;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of substantially the otherhalf of the car; i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a portion of the car with parts broken away and others shown in section to better disclose fthe arrangement of parts at the journal box, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 oi Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the car body consists of side sheets 2 joined together at one end by end wall 3v and at the other end by side wing portions 4 of lift door 5. The side walls and end wall are stiened by suitable stakes or braces 6, one pair of which, together with straps 1, provides the pivotal mount 8 for the lift door. The lower edge of the side twalls and end wall are joined together by means of a floor structure. The licor structure in the present instance is formed by a center lower section l0 connected by angl-es or other means Il to the inner edge of Wing or gunwale portions l2 @located at a level slightly above the center floor section and connected by any suitable means, such as angles I4, to the lower edge of the side wall sheets. Asclearly shown in Fig. 5, the stakes which reinforce the side wall sheets also extend under the wing or gunwale portions to support (ci. 10s- 224) and stiffen the same. It is obvious that the wing n or gunwale portions may extend in substantially the same plane as `the central floor, in which case the wheel receiving` member or Wheel hood I6 will of necessity be of greater` depth. In the present instance the wheel receiving member or hood is merely a curved plate welded to the wing or gunwale portions in order toreceive the flange of the wheel when the car moves downwarfdly under control of the springs later to be described. As clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 and in order to increase the capacity of the car, the gunwale portions do not extend from end to end of the car at their higher level, but have Vthe ends substantially in the same plane as the center portion. Since the car isintended for end dumping, the gunwale at the end opposite the gate is provided with a downwardly and inwardly inclined triangular shaped portion I8 which will serve to direct the lading inwardly and upwardly eitherpast or onto the gunwaleportions `when the car is-being dumped.

The body structure, as just described, is connected to Aand supported by an Vunderframe struc-` ture consisting of channel side sills 20 having the web -portionsdisposed vertically with the upper flange 22 directed inwardly and directly supporting `the body, while the lower flange 24 is directed inwardly toward,the center of the car and in spaced relation to the car floor. In order to rigidly tie the side sills together and prevent sagging of the center car floor, Z-bar or other form stiieners or cross ties 26 are provided which extend between and are rigidly connected to the side sills by any suitable means such as angle clips 28 (Fig. 3). additionally tied togetherby end sill structures 30 of built-up construction and having spaced flanges' between which are received bumper and draitstructures 32, preferably of the resilient type, capable of resiliently resisting both bui-fing and draft forces.

The` car body and underframe structure is supported on the rails by means of wheels W rotatably carried on axles A which, in the instance shown, extend through vertically elongated openings 34 formed in the webs of the channel side sills. As clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the sills are reinforced at the cut out portions by means of an angular shaped'plate 36 having the long leg extending vertically and rigidly connected to the web of the sills and having the short leg 38 directed outwardly away from the web and beneath the hub of the wheel. This reinforcing angular 'plate will, of course, have the vertically elongated opening formed therein to receive the axle and of a size equivalent to the opening cut in the side sill. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, a portion of the lower flanges 24 of the side sills is cut away adjacent the axle zone in order to receive and The ends of the side sills are scf permit vertical movement of the journal box J. 'Ihis journal box is preferably formed by bending a flat strap into a flanged inverted 'AU form, with the anges 4U directed laterally outward from the U portion 42 which is adapted to rest directly onthe axle. Distortion of the bent strap is prevented by means of spaced side plates 44 Welded to the U-shaped portion and to the outwardly directed ilanges, all as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The outwardly directed ilanges of the anged U-shaped strap form spring seats to receive the lower ends of springs 46, the upper ends of which bear against spring pads 48 welded or otherwise secured to the vinwardly directed top flanges of the channel side sills. The springs and journal boxes are encased and their movements controlled by means of vertically extending angular shaped plates 50, having the long leg directed inwardly and welded or otherwise connected to the web of the channel sills `and to the upper and lower flanges thereof, while the short outer legs 52 are directed toward the adjacent axle and in a plane substantially parallel to the web of the sills. 'I'hus it will be seen that these angular plates form a rigid tie stiffening the side sills,

while at the same time providing pedestal guides for the journal box carried on the axle. It will be obvious that the central car floor could belowered to a position below the axle with the only change necessary being an extension of the flanges 52 to fully house the springs and journal boxes and of -an axle housing connecting these extensions and located in spaced relation to the axle permitting relative vertical motion. In any case, it will be seen that the journal box and axle may move vertically relative to the body and underframe structure due to the provision of the elongated slots and under control of the springs.

The plates 44 on the journal boxes will cooperate with the web of the channel sill and with the flanges 52 to guide the journal box in its vertical motion and prevent transverse movement of the box. Longitudinal motion of the box is .limited and controlled by the long leg of the angles 50, although these angles will never be subjected to thrusts except in case of accident, since the longitudinal thrusts will be absorbed directly from the axle by the side sills and outer reinforcing angle plate. It will be seen from the preceding description that an extremely strong and compact side sill and journal box mounting has been provided and that the sill is of channel form throughout its major portion but of Z-bar form at the axle Zones due to the addition of the angular reinforcing plate. Any failure or distortion of the side sill at the axle Zone is prevented by means of the flange and web ties- 50 as well as by the main angular reinforcing plate fastened to the outer surface of the channel web.

While the. invention has been described more. or less in detail, it is obvious that various modifications, other than those described, may be made by Vpersons skilled in the art and all. such modications and rearrangements of parts are con templated as will fall within the scope of the appended claims dening our invention.

` What is claimed is:

1. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to whichth'e body is secured, `said underframe in-` assigns and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes.

'2. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to which the body is secured, said underframe including longitudinally extending sills, vertically elongated slots cut in said sills, angular members secured to said sills on either Side of said slots, axles extending through said slots, journal boxes carried by the axles and guided by said angular members, and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes.

3. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to which the body is secured, said underframe including longitudinally extending channel shape sills having upper and lower inwardly directed flanges with portions of said lower flange removed, axlesextending through said sills at the portionsof lower flange removal, metal members secured to the sills on either side of the axle and joining the lower and upper sill iianges together, said members being of angle form and each having one leg secured to the sill web and flanges and the other 'leg directed toward the adjacent axle, journal boxes carried on the axles and guided by said sills and metalmembers, and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes. v

4. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to which the body is secured, said underframe including longitudinally extending channel shape sills having upper and lower inwardly directed flanges with portions of said lower flange removed, reenforcing plates secured to said sills and structurally compensating for the flange removal, axles extending through said sills and reenforcing plates, metal members secured to the sills on either side of the axle, said metal members being of angle form and each having one leg secured to the sill web and flanges and the other leg secured to at least one of the sill flanges and directed toward the adjacent axle and substantially parallel to the sill web, journal boxes carried on the axles and guided by said sills and metal members for relative vertical movement and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes.

5. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to which the body is secured, said underframe including longitudinally extending sills, pairs of angular members secured to said sills, axles extending through said sills between the members oi each pair, journal boxes carried by the axles between the upper and lower limits of the sills, said journal boxes being guided for relative vertical movement with the body by said sill and pairs of angular members, and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes and being located between the vertical and horizontal planes defining the sill boundaries.

6. In a mine car, a body, an underframe to which the body i-s secured, said underframe including longitudinally extending sills having parts of channel section and parts of Z section, axles extending through the sills at the Z section parts, vertically extending angular members secured to the sills on either side of the axles, journal boxes carried by the axles and guided by said sills and angular members, and resilient means supporting said underframe upon the journal boxes, said boxes and resilient means being located between the vertical and horizontal planes dening the sill boundaries.

HERMAN H. PANCAKE. ROBERT A. SI-IIELDS. 

